Jasmin Mia Madritsch, Heiress to Heavenly Soul Recesses.
My nemesis, the sworn enemy I've been battling for longer than I can possibly remember. And whom I always tried to surpass with my blood, sweat, and tears (of anger, for a matter of fact), as we've stayed in a equal footing out entire life. Until now.
Her hunger for power was so big that it seems like it blinded her, as she seemingly killed her mother, the Queen of Heavenly Soul Recesses and absorbed her soul and power, all because Cornelia Madritsch was the strongest immortal with a heavenly cultivation in their realm. The one who was above her, just as my father, King Felix Litchenegger, is the only one stronger than me in the Immortal Land of Garnet.
To think that after years of so annoyingly righteous, and always complaining to me about how I make use of demonic cultivation, Mia would abandon her own and use demonic QI to be able to consume the souls of her mother. Not just her mother, as she supposedly consume the souls of both her brother Franz and his wife Larissa. Plus all of her people from all the 12 Heavenly Mounts, which is even weirder, as she was always one to care for her people.
Beyond that, how the hell did she come in contact with demonic QI to cultivate? There's none in Heavenly Soul Recesses, and it did not come from me. Especially such a technique that is one of our secret Royal arts and that only the King and the Crowned Prince have access to on the vault. To top it all, I never even got my eyes on the Demon Swallowing Souls scroll, and I only know of it because father told me about and because a distant ancestor of ours committed the mistake of using it, resulting in the infamous fame of these arts that are even prohibited to us, given it's danger.
"You assured me she would never even give thought to making use of demonic QI, Mal. Look at your nemesis now!" Father passed his hand through his long black straight hair.
I clenched my fists, "The Mia I know and respect would never do such a thing, father. She always loathed our demonic cultivation, there's no doubt on that. I don't know what happened to her on these last three years after our last duel, but something must have corrupted her."
Father closed his eyes in pure frustration, "There's something I haven't told you, Mal. Something that might connect to this."
I did my best not to frown, "Yes?"
"The Demon Swallowing Souls scroll was somehow stolen ten thousands of years ago," what? "You were 45555 years back then, and you were dueling with Jasmin Madritsch in the Heavenly Soul Recesses at the time. I had gone into secluded cultivation for ten months, and when I got back, you weren't here yet, and the scroll were gone. I didn't tell you because I didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to try using it, given that it's prohibited."
My garnet red eyes widened, "You think the thief gave it to Mia?"
A nod, "That is the only thing that makes sense. I'm still wondering how someone would be able to possibly come inside out vault and steal it right under our noses, taking advantage of our absence. And why give it to the Heavenly Soul Recesses's Heiress instead of using it themselves?"
"Whoever did this, was probably an immortal with demonic QI like us, and thus, they were aware of all the dangers of such a insane technique. But to give that cursed scroll to Mia of all people… Fuck, they must have been intending on causing havoc and mayhem, on throwing the Immortal realms into chaos. Especially because the immortals of heavenly cultivation would never fully understand the Demon Swallowing Souls arts in a way our people would," sighing, I messed with my black wavy hair. "Our arts are made for our cultivation, no matter what, Mia would never be able to use them properly, because she has a heavenly immortal bone, and not a demonic immortal bone like we do!"
Father nodded vehemently, "Indeed. The result of an immortal with heavenly cultivation using our arts would be catastrophic. Even the most harmless of the arts wouldn't be used properly no mater how long they train for it to work. It would be clumsy. Clumsiness can forsake any demonic art and mess with the result intended."
"She would only be able to use it if she was cleaned and stripped of all her heavenly cultivation. Even though she possess the heavenly immortal bone, if she gave up her entire cultivation and started again from zero with our cultivation, no matter how much of a genius she is, it would take her ten to twenty thousands of years to get to a average level. Mia would absolutely never do such a thing," father gave me a cup of wine and I drank it all.
Then I poured for him and he turned it in one go, "Meaning that she does not have what's needed to use the Demon Swallowing Souls art, and as she is currently making use of it, she's too far gone. Her consciousness is lost, her nature is distorted, her QI and soul forever corrupted, he mind that once was worthy of respect is now turned wicked."
"Which would never happen if it was one of us making use of it. Well, we would corrupt our soul, but that's as far is it would go. But Mia, being one of the Seven Immortal Fairies of Heavenly Soul Recesses, is gone and will never be what she once was," and for some reason, that pains me.
Before we could utter another word, Aurora Comănescu, the heiress of Comănescu Sect and the one father chose to be my fiancée about fifteen thousands year ago, came inside with Valeriu Botezatu, the head of our strategy department. "Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness," they bowed.
"What is it that you two want?" I arched my eyebrow annoyed.
Aurora has been a pain in the ass to me for centuries. She and her family have been pastering father to engage the two of us for fifty thousands of years, and I've been postponing our marriage for fifteen thousands now. But she still insists in trying to get close to me, even though I made it clear that I have no interest in her, even less any romantic feelings. Father only accepted the request of her father, Marius Comănescu, because they are the second strongest sect under us, and because they have been a pain for him too, insisting on this.
The fact that I still wasn't engaged and refused all of his matched also weighted on his decision. Especially because he feared that I could be in love with Mia, which is ridiculous. How could I love my nemesis? Such a delusional misunderstanding, that got even more annoying because father insisted on it even after I denied it. I don't even know where he got that idea from, it's offensive.
Now I'm cursed to one day marry Aurora, if we survive to Mia.
"My love, things are getting more dangerous!"
I frowned, "I am not your love, Miss Comănescu, neither will I ever be, so, you should kill any foolish hopes you have on that." Distasteful, I turned my gaze at the strategist. "What is it, Botezatu?"
"Your Royal Highness, we were in the strategy chambers watching the lanterns of life of the Heavenly Soul Recesses's Twelve Mounts, and they started to slowly turn red. It started with Madritsch and now Pauritsch."